Send money now! Candidates compete for online cash - The Guardian
DAVID ESPO
AP Special Correspondent= WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican strategist "Karl Rove and his allies have taken the gloves off" in Ohio. Send money to stop them.
No, wait. "Hollywood-liberal-elites are trying to hijack a Senate seat in Missouri." Funds needed now to prevent it.
These aren't letters home from distraught relatives or friends. They are part of a ceaseless competition for campaign cash in the email era, from the race for the White House to Congress and local office.
The stakes are high, measured in the hundreds of millions of dollars every election cycle. Precisely how much is not known, since the Federal Election Commission does not require federal candidates to tally donations raised via email or websites separately from those made in response to traditional mail, phone banks or candidate calls.
In an age of multi-tasking, getting attention fast is critical.
President Barack Obama entered small-dollar donors into a lottery with a chance to have lunch with him last fall. In a follow-up, the prize is dinner with him and former President Bill Clinton.
The idea seems to be catching on. Mitt Romney's campaign is raising funds by giving contributors a chance to be one of four picked to "sit down for a bite to eat" with the Republican presidential contender and his wife, Ann.
Some online appeals include video, like one that Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., included of her rival, Pete Hoekstra, saying he favored drilling for oil in the Great Lakes laterally from onshore platforms.
Others seek a signature on an online petition, an act meant to create a sense of empowerment in the signer, and one that leads quickly to a request for funds.
Opponents of the recall of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker often send out email requests for money that include a list of names of "Great Patriots" and the amounts they have donated. The hope is that others will join.
"It's like a two-minute elevator pitch," said Taryn Rosenkranz, whose company, New Blue Interactive, works for Democratic candidates and causes. "You don't have very much time before you've lost the reader."
Messages delivered digitally are "faster and more agile than TV, direct mail or phones. You can initiate a fundraising campaign the day a news story hits or something of note occurs in the political environment," said Ben Olson, director of online services for the Republican-aligned firm Arena Communications.
Even preview lines — those short phrases that summarize items in an email inbox — are viewed as critically important. "Nasty, vindictive and liberal to boot!" read one recently, practically begging to be opened. "Exclusive: We want you to be the first to see this," confided another mass email.
Technology lets campaigns know instantly how much money is coming in the door in response to the latest pitch. "A lot of times what you can do is put out two or three different versions and put them out to different demographics and sometimes through different websites," said Steve McMahon, a Democratic political consultant.
Increasingly, campaigns use Facebook and other social media websites to raise money. Erik Nilsson, vice president at the CDMI, a Republican-aligned firm, claims credit on the company's website for showing that online fundraising yields "can be increased by 52 percent by engaging donors through social networks."
In an interview, Nilsson said, "Friends asking friends are more likely to get a donation and when those donations come in ... they come in much higher."
The next frontier may be donation by text message, which is currently banned.
Among the obstacles is a long lag between the time a donation is made and when it is transferred to the campaign by the mobile company. Also, a text donation to a charity, for example, provides a donor's cell phone number, but not name, address and occupation, information the Federal Election Commission requires to ensure a contribution is legal.
Lawyers representing a pair of consulting firms, one allied with each of the two major political parties, have recommended steps to overcome the difficulties and last month asked the FEC to permit donations by texting.
None of the technical considerations is readily apparent to the potential donor, left to sift through competing appeals.
No event or issue, it seems, is too minor to trigger an urgent and/or outraged request for contributions.
The campaign of Sen. Sherrod Brown wants money because Rove and his allies "have taken the gloves off" and are attacking the Ohio Democrat. "If we can't hit the million-dollar goal for our No Fear Fund, we'll get buried before the summer even starts," said a recent email.
Sarah Steelman, a Republican running for the Senate in Missouri, warned recently that Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill "has a series of liberal celebrities who are funding her campaign ... defeat Hollywood's Third Senator," it says. Photos of Danny DeVito, Susan Sarandon, Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg are included, superimposed on the iconic Hollywood sign in the hills of Los Angeles.
In recent days, Florida Democrats claimed they had registered 10 percent more voters than Republicans and pleaded, "Contribute today and help us keep the momentum."
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley's political organization emailed supporters about her new book, "Can't Is Not an Option."
"If you donate $50 or more to help me continue our fight, you will receive a limited edition personalized copy," she wrote.
Tommy Thompson, a Republican contender for the Senate in Wisconsin, told his email recipients somewhat breathlessly, "We just received our first shipment of yard signs." Anyone interested in having one could stop by the office. If not, they could join the campaign as a volunteer.
Either way, a $20 donation means "we can keep buying more signs."
Money matters: Martin Lewis sells MoneySavingExpert website for £87million - Daily Mirror
Personal finance journalist Martin Lewis secured his own multimillion-pound fortune today by agreeing the sale of his website for up to £87 million.
MoneySavingExpert.com, which was set up by Mr Lewis in 2003 and now sends a weekly email to around five million subscribers, is to be bought by price comparison website MoneySupermarket.
Mr Lewis, who is well known as a television pundit on money matters, will receive £60 million upfront in a mixture of cash and shares and a further £27 million conditional on meeting targets over the next three years.
He plans to donate £10 million to charity from the deal, including £1 million to Citizens Advice, while he will retain full control over the website.
According to Google Analytics, the MoneySavingExpert website attracted 39 million unique visitors and around 277 million page impressions in the year to October 31. It generated revenues of £15.7 million over the same period.
Mr Lewis said the deal, which needs the approval of MoneySupermarket shareholders, ensured the website would be around for many years to come.
He added: "MoneySavingExpert.com has become part of people's daily lives, far bigger than the man who founded it, and now is the right time for it to stand on its own two feet."
Mr Lewis said he chose Moneysupermarket because it is not owned by any product providers and had signed up to an editorial code which ensures the website's content will be free from commercial pressures.
He will stay as editor-in-chief for the next three years, with the help of Moneysupermarket's resources and the website's existing 42-strong staff.
"After that, the door is open for me to carry on, and I hope to do so, though perhaps with fewer hours than now, so I can spend more time on my media work and other projects I'm passionate about. These include getting financial education on the curriculum," Mr Lewis said.
Money is flying out of Spain - International Business Times
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Spain's Economy Minister Luis de Guindos said the data was more a reflection of the troubles of the banking sector to fund itself externally than deposits flying abroad.
The capital flight data predates the nationalization of Spain's fourth biggest lender Bankia (MC:BKIA) in May when it became clear the bank could not handle losses from bad real estate investments, compounded by a recession.
Spain's center-right government has contracted independent auditors to assess the health of its financial system in an effort to restore faith in its banks.
The prospect that Spain might not be able to handle losses at its banks has hammered shares and the Euro, although both regained some stability Thursday.
Mr. De Guindos said that the future of the euro would be at stake in the next few weeks in Spain and Italy, adding that the rumors that Spain was negotiating financial assistance with the International Monetary Fund were "complete nonsense."
"The battle of the Euro is being fought right now in Spain and Italy," he said at an event in the north-eastern region of Catalonia.
He also said Germany should help correct imbalances in the euro zone created by a loose monetary policy over the last 10 yrs, and by the non-respect by Berlin of the stability and growth pact in Y 2003.
Paul A. Ebeling, Jnr.
Paul A. Ebeling, Jnr. writes and publishes The Red Roadmaster's Technical Report on the US Major Market Indices, a weekly, highly-regarded financial market letter, read by opinion makers, business leaders and organizations around the world.
Paul A. Ebeling, Jnr has studied the global financial and stock markets since 1984, following a successful business career that included investment banking, and market and business analysis. He is a specialist in equities/commodities, and an accomplished chart reader who advises technicians with regard to Major Indices Resistance/Support Levels.
No money for brain research - Lancashire Evening Post
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Forex: USD/JPY back to yesterday’s lows - FXStreet.com
Grieving family's anguish as conwoman makes money 'collecting' cash for their two-year-old's gravestone after he fell to his death from moving car - Daily Mail
- Levi Brailsford died after apparently unbuckling his harness and climbing out of the moving car
- A woman claiming to be a 'family friend' has been going door-to-door asking for cash, homeowners have claimed
- The boy's father Kevin said: People shouldn't give this woman any money because we don't know who she is'
By Rob Cooper
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Tragic: Levi Brailsford who died after falling out of his grandmother's moving car
A conwoman has been going door-to-door pretending she is collecting 'donations' for a two-year-old's gravestone after he fell to his death from a moving car.
Levi Brailsford's grieving family claimed the woman has been calling at houses across Bristol using the ruse to trick people into handing over cash.
The boy died in Stockwood, Bristol, on May 11 after unbuckling his harness and apparently opening the door of the moving vehicle.
The family, who recently held the boy's funeral, said they have not asked anyone to collect money on their behalf.
Residents living in Redland, Bristol, said they had been called by a woman claiming to be fundraising for Levi's funeral and headstone.
The boy's family have been contacted by friends with similar stories about a mystery woman asking for donations.
Levi's father Kevin said: 'If it was legitimate and the proceeds were coming to us for our son, there would be no problem with it.
'But we haven't asked anyone to do it and for anyone to make any money in my poor boy's name is very upsetting for us all. People shouldn't give this woman any money because we don't know who she is.
'I've had a lot of phone calls about it and I was so worried I told our family liaison officer at the police.'

Tribute: One of the bears that was left at the scene of Levi's death holds a message to the tragic two-year-old
Among the messages was a note from Levi's parents, Kevin and Andrea, who have been left devastated by the accident

Grief: The dead boy's family have been rocked by fresh claims that a conwoman has been going door-to-door claiming she is collecting money for them
The 33-year-old from Stockwood, Bristol, said: 'We will be raising money for the air ambulance with a sponsored walk in June, but that is still being organised.'
Jo Broome, who lives in Redland, said: 'A female, reporting to be a "family friend" of the Brailsford family is scouring the Redland area asking for donations to help pay for the funeral and headstone.
'She was very thin, had blondish hair tied back in a very tight ponytail and a very gruff voice. Her complexion was very white looking and she was about 5ft 4ins.

Wellwishers: Friends of the boy's family leave flowers at the spot where he tragically fell to his death
'She had a paper cutting of the story in a clear plastic envelope and was taking the name of anyone who had donated some money for the funeral on a scrap piece of paper.'
South Bristol Cemetery was packed last Friday as the two-year-old was laid to rest.
His father Kevin and mother Andrea, 29, released balloons into the sky, followed by scores more from family and friends.
Avon and Somerset Police spokeswoman Claire Stanley said: 'Both police and the family of Levi are aware of a woman who claims to be collecting on behalf of them for a headstone.
'None of these collections has been sanctioned by the family.'
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